An extra £200 million will be allocated to help fix potholes the chancellor has announced in the Spring Budget.
The chancellor Jeremy Hunt said the Government’s Potholes Fund will now stand at £700 million for the 2023-24 financial year.
The cost of bringing local roads in England and Wales up to scratch has been estimated at £12.6 billion by the Asphalt Industry Alliance.
Analysis just published by the Local Government Association showed Government funding for maintaining England’s motorways and major A roads was 31 times higher per mile than for repairing local roads last year.
Steve Gooding, director of the RAC Foundation, said:
“There won’t be a road user in the country who doesn’t dodge a pothole on a daily basis, so any extra money to help fill the holes in is welcome.
“However, it is worth remembering there are 190,000 miles of road in England alone so the additional £200 million is going to be thinly spread.
“We mustn’t forget that road maintenance extends beyond the road surface to things like bridges.
“Councils also need the money to shore up the thousands of sub-standard crossings our research has shown are out there.
“Ultimately, whether it is potholes or bridges, we need a long-term deal that would set a sound and steady basis for the maintenance of our roads.”
ENDS
Contact:
Philip Gomm – Head of External Communications – RAC Foundation
[email protected] | 07711 776448
Notes to editors:
The RAC Foundation is a transport policy and research organisation that explores the economic, mobility, safety and environmental issues relating to roads and their users.
The Foundation publishes independent and authoritative research with which it promotes informed debate and advocates policy in the interest of the responsible motorist.
All the Foundation’s work is available at: www.racfoundation.org
The Foundation is a registered charity.